1 Chronicles 29:18-19 “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, preserve this forever in the intentions of the heart of Your people and direct their heart to You; and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision.”
Among all the things we do for our children there is one crucial act that will surely make a difference in their lives. We must commit to pray for them regularly and specifically.
A few nights ago, I tossed and turned in my sleep. The darkness pressed in on my mind and drove my thoughts to the craziest places. With five children, there is always some crisis and the midnight hours seemed to magnify the upsetting details.
Finally, I gave up trying to sleep and headed down the stairs to my special spot where I like to spend time with the Lord. Grabbing a well-worn devotional book, God directed me to this passage in 1 Chronicles where God reminds us what to do when we have concerns for our children.
King David was nearing the end of his life. He had spent his days serving the Lord and collecting materials for a place where the nation could worship God. He called upon the people to also give generously for the construction of this temple, and he rejoiced at the willingness of the givers.
In the sight of the whole assembly, the king blessed the Lord and offered a prayer of thanksgiving and a plea for continued guidance. As I read the words of this beautiful appeal, I was impressed with David’s requests.
Though things were going well at the moment and the people were seeking to please God, he had been the king long enough to realize the fickleness of the human heart. Those who seem to be following God one day may turn the next day to things of the world. So, David asked the Lord continually to preserve these good intentions and always to direct the hearts of the people to Him.
Then David turned more personally to his own son who would be in charge of the temple construction. He said, “. . . give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies, and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision.”
What an example for us to follow! King David committed his kingdom to God and then specifically made requests for his son, Solomon.
If our children are seeking God, we must pray that He will preserve their tender heart attitude.
If our children are struggling, we must pray that God will direct their hearts toward Him.
If our children have specific tasks or concerns, we must bring the details to our heavenly Father and ask Him to give them a perfect heart of obedience in all they do.
Whatever the circumstances, we must present our children to the Lord and ask for His guidance and intervention in their lives.
When my children were younger, I kept a prayer journal where I recorded specific requests for each of them. Though I daily prayed for temporal things like tests and sicknesses, my written list of requests was more specific and focused on heart issues.
When one child was struggling I would ask God to replace the needy area with qualities that would reflect Him. For example:
- Pride replaced with humility;
- Fear replaced with boldness;
- Jealousy replaced with love; or
- Self-consciousness replaced with God-consciousness.
These are specific things that will make all the difference in the world for our children and their spiritual growth.
The grandfather clock in the living room chimed the hour as I continued to think about a concerned father’s prayer for his son and mulled over my own five young adult children and their circumstances in life.
Slowly my tension melted away as I modeled my early morning prayers for my children after King David’s requests. My deepest desire for my children is no different – a perfect heart to keep God’s commandments.
I softly spoke the words and was refreshed with the reassurance that, in a world bent on capturing our children’s hearts, the regular and specific prayers of a concerned mom can make all the difference in the world.
What about you?
- What heart issue prayers do you pray for your children?
- Do you have a special place where you go to bring your requests to your heavenly Father?
- Do you have any specific Bible verses that you use when praying for your children?
- Do you have any concerns for which we can join you in prayer?
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